


La dama en las sombras

by FrankenSpine



Series: Scarytales [13]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Christmas, Creepy, Epic Friendship, Gen, Happy Ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-07
Updated: 2019-12-07
Packaged: 2021-02-26 05:28:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,691
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21708232
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FrankenSpine/pseuds/FrankenSpine
Summary: It's almost Christmas when ten-year-old Emma encounters a strange and magical entity, but it isn't Father Christmas coming to give her presents. Instead, she meets a legendary snake-eyed woman and receives the greatest gift of all.
Relationships: Evil Queen | Regina Mills & Emma Swan
Series: Scarytales [13]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1464862
Comments: 9
Kudos: 62





	La dama en las sombras

Santa Claus: the jolly bearded man in red who delivered presents to all the good boys and girls across the globe. Everyone knew his name, and his legacy, though not everyone believed in him. This may have had something to do with his benevolence. After all, a good man’s deeds were often overshadowed by the sins of the wicked. It was hopelessness that led countless people to lose faith in Father Christmas.

However, those who lost hope knew beyond the shadow of a doubt that every year, something did visit them in the dead of night, but it was _not_ the old toymaker. It was something much, _much_ worse. A dark-haired woman in black with long, sharp claws and fangs, and whose serpentine eyes shimmered like gold within the darkness. Santa was a symbol of warmth and joy. This creature, on the other hand, was the embodiment of fear and death. Her presence brought with it a cold and bitter wind, and her breath was always visible as it escaped her lips, which were black as the night.

Sometimes she did come down the chimney, but it was not her only way of entry. She would creep and crawl through the shadows, be it in the closet, the cupboard, or beneath the bed. She was unpredictable, like a savage beast, though what made her all the more terrifying was that she was methodical in her tactics. She left no gifts. She only struck fear into the hearts of those who saw her. She went by many names: _Musta Morsian, Svarta Norn, Serpenta Virino, Kurai Akuma—_ too many to count, and though she would never admit it, her personal favorite was _La dama en las sombras:_ the Lady in the Shadows.

On this particular night, she was creeping through the dark hallway of a home in a little town in Maine, but that wasn’t important. She sought out the rooms of all the mischievous children, fully-intent on scarring them for life, but as she came upon the room towards the end of the hall, she found the door ever so slightly ajar. She peered through the crack with her snakelike eye and noticed a young girl, likely no older than ten, sitting up in bed and praying quietly. She heard it clearly, however, even from her place on the opposite side of the door.

“Dear God, I don’t know if you’re real, but if you are, I want you to please make Kevin stop being mean to me all the time, and to give me a real family that loves me. Amen.”

The girl lied down and turned so that she was facing the window, through which pale moonlight flooded the little room. On the walls were the scribbled drawings of a troubled child with lots of crayons. These pictures all shared a single theme: a young girl, all alone and crying.

The Lady in the Shadows sank down into the darkness and manifested beneath the girl’s bed, but sensed no malice in the child’s heart. She climbed out slowly and silently, twisting and contorting her body as though her bones were flexible. She said nothing— she made not a sound— and yet the girl seemed to sense her presence and turned ever so slowly. They locked eyes, and for reasons she couldn’t even _begin_ to understand, there was no fear in the girl’s soft green eyes. Just curiosity and the pure wonder of a child.

“Hello,” the girl whispered.

Stunned, Svarta Norn just stared at the girl with unblinking eyes, not quite sure what to say. The girl continued anyhow.

“My name’s Emma. What’s yours?”

Finally, the woman spoke. “I have many names, child,” she said in her raspy voice.

“Oh. Well, what do I call you?”

“It matters not. I do not care for titles as you humans do.”

“Then how come you have so many?”

“Because humans bestowed them upon me. I had no choice in the matter.”

“If you’re not human then what are you?”

“I’m _me._ There are no others like me. I am alone.”

“Me too,” Emma said, offering a sad smile.

She extended her hand. Again, the woman simply stared at her, so she reached for the clawed hand of the strange lady.

“How come you have claws?”

The Lady grew tense at the feeling of this child touching her hand. “I just do.”

Emma gave a small shrug. “Okay.” She paused a moment. “I wish _I_ had claws, that way my foster-brother would get scared and wouldn’t hurt me anymore.”

Fury flickered across the woman’s face. “He hurts you?” she hissed.

“Yeah,” Emma said with a heavy sigh.

“Well,” said the Lady, “I think that’s about to change, little one.”

Emma’s eyes lit up. “Really?”

The Lady hesitated, suddenly overwhelmed with a feeling of warmth that was completely alien to her. “Yes,” she said at last, still in a murmur, “Just you wait, child. I shall return.”

“You promise?”

Again, the Lady seemed reluctant. “I suppose.”

“Okay,” Emma said, smiling hopefully.

That was when it dawned on the woman. Hope. She had sparked hope in this human child. Nothing ever surprised her, but that was the _last thing_ she had anticipated. Without another word, she sank back down into the shadows and reemerged in the closet of the boy who was sleeping in the room across the hall.

She slowly pushed it open, making it creak, and grinned devilishly when she heard the boy gasp. He must not have been sleeping after all. As the woman soon discovered, he had been on his phone, and was now shining the artificial light towards the closet door as it opened up to reveal— _nothing._

With a sigh of relief, the boy went to lie back down, but when he did, his eyes grew wide with utter terror as he saw the snake-eyed woman on his ceiling. He tried to scream, but no sound ever came. He tried to get up and run, but his body would not move. He was completely and utterly helpless. He could feel the urine pooling beneath him and whimpered, squeezing his eyes shut as hard as he possibly could.

And then the woman spoke in a low, raspy voice, lowering herself down from the ceiling and flicking her snakelike tongue against the mortified child’s ear. This made him wince, but he did not open his eyes.

“If you do not behave— if you continue to hurt others for your own twisted amusement— I _will_ return for you, _boy,_ and we both know you don’t want that to happen, do you?”

Hearing the boy sob, the woman laughed quietly and climbed under the bed where she disappeared into the shadows. After what seemed like an eternity, the boy reluctantly opened one of his eyes and peered around the dark room. The monster was gone. He lied awake in fear, gripping his soiled sheets tightly, and did not sleep for the rest of the night as every little sound made him jump.

Meanwhile, Emma was sitting up in her bed in anticipation, watching and listening for the woman’s return. When she saw the snake-eyed lady step out of the darkness that occupied the corner of the room, Emma smiled brightly.

“That was fast,” she said.

“Yes, well, it didn’t take much to frighten him,” said the woman, “which is why I can’t help wondering why _you_ don’t fear me.”

“I’m not scared of anything,” Emma told her, “Well, except being alone, but now you’re here, so everything’s going to be alright.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“‘cause I believe it,” said the girl.

“I suppose that’s a fair answer,” said the Lady. She was quiet for a moment, and for one reason or another, she decided to sit on the edge of the girl’s bed. “So,” she murmured, “do you think Santa will come visit you this year?”

Emma’s smile widened. “I really hope so. I always try to do the right thing.”

“Well, that’s good, then,” said the woman. She paused a moment before standing up. “I should be going now.”

“Wait,” said Emma, “Will you stay with me? Please?”

“Why?”

“Because,” said the girl, “you’re my guardian angel.”

Svarta Norn laughed softly. “I am no angel, child, but I suppose I can stay until the sun rises.”

“What happens at sunrise?”

“I sleep,” the woman said simply, “just as you should be doing now, little one.”

She circled the bed and slithered up beside the young girl wordlessly, locking eyes with the child. Emma just smiled at her, and for the first time in a long time, she felt a fluttering within her chest.

“There is little that surprises me,” she murmured, “but I am truly amazed that there is no fear in your eyes when you look at me.”

“Why should I be scared?” Emma asked her.

“Everyone else is.”

“Well I’m not everyone else.”

The woman opened her mouth to respond, but said nothing and shut it again, and then she chuckled. “No, you most certainly aren’t.”

Emma lied back down and continued to smile even as she closed her eyes, and drifted into a peaceful slumber. The snake-eyed woman watched her intently, not saying a word, and stayed there beside her until the sun began peeking up over the horizon, as promised.

When Emma awoke the next morning, she found herself alone in the room, but the impression in her bed from where the Lady had been was very much evident, and she was ecstatic to know that she hadn’t just been having a strange dream. She went about her day as usual, catching the bus and going to school, where she drew pictures of the Lady with the snake eyes in her notebook and wrote about the experience as best as she could. When she returned home, she was pleasantly surprised to find no sign of Kevin, as he would usually be waiting for her at the door in order to bully her, but today he wasn’t there. It seemed that whatever the snake woman had done, it worked like a charm.

That evening, after dinner, Emma went to her room and got ready for bed. Once she was in her pajamas, she sat up in her bed, scanning the dark corners of the room for any traces of the snake-eyed lady. When it seemed like the woman wouldn’t show up, Emma started to doze off, but was drawn back into awareness a short while later by the creaking of floorboards beneath her bed. Her eyes lit up and she peered over the side to see the woman, but found nothing. She heard someone clear their throat and turned to find the woman standing behind her on the opposite side of the bed.

“You came back,” she said with a smile.

“I did,” said the woman, seeming conflicted, “Has your foster-brother tormented you?”

“Nope. I haven’t even seen him today.”

“Good. It seems my methods were effective,” said the Lady.

Just like the previous night, she climbed into bed next to the girl and they sat there together in silence for a bit. It was Emma who eventually spoke up first.

“I really think you need a name.”

“Is that so?”

“Yeah. I just think it would be easier to talk to you that way.”

“If you say so,” said the Lady, “What, pray tell, do you intend to call me?”

“I don’t know,” Emma said with a shrug, “Something pretty.”

“Nothing about me is ‘pretty,’ child.”

“Well I think you’re really pretty,” said Emma, “and I think your name should be, too.” She thought about it for a moment. “How about, um, _Angela?”_

“I told you, I’m no angel.”

“Okay, well, what about _Rosalyn?”_

“I don’t think it suits me. If you must give me a name, at least make it something grand. Something, shall we say, _regal.”_

“Regal? Like royalty?”

“Precisely.”

“Then, maybe your name should be _Regina.”_

The Lady pursed her painted lips. “Hm,” she said, “Very well. I rather like it. Regina it is, then.”

Emma’s smile widened. “It’s nice to meet you, Regina.”

The Lady’s heart swelled. “Likewise, _Emma.”_

* * *

_Eight years later…_

“Get out of my house!” the drunken man roared.

Emma ducked as he threw his empty bottle at her head. It narrowly missed her. She lost her balance and stumbled a bit while rushing backwards out the front door with a bag of what little belongings she owned. Just some clothes, a toothbrush and toothpaste, and her baby blanket.

“Get the hell out of here, and don’t ever let me see your face again, do you hear me, skank?!”

Emma just flipped him off as she stormed down the sidewalk and around the corner. She didn’t know where to go, so she decided to seek help from a friend. It was the middle of the night and the moon was full. What better time to summon _Svarta Norn_ than now? She made her way into a dark alley, tears streaking her face, and whispered her friend’s name into the darkness.

_“Regina.”_

The response was immediate. “Yes?” The voice of her friend came from behind her in a soft whisper.

Emma turned and tried to speak, but could only sob.

“Emma? What’s wrong?”

“He kicked me out,” said Emma.

“Who, Mr. Smith?”

Emma could only nod as she struggled to compose herself. Feeling Regina’s slender arms pull her into a gentle embrace, she leaned her head on the woman’s shoulder.

“May I ask why?”

“Can we go somewhere quieter?” asked Emma.

Regina nodded. “Of course.” She guided Emma with her through the darkness at the end of the alley, and they reemerged in an ancient castle in the Irish countryside.

“Wow,” said Emma, “This wasn’t quite what I had in mind, but I like it.”

“What were you going to tell me, Emma?” Regina asked softly.

Emma sighed. “I’m eighteen now,” she said, “Mr. Smith kicked me out since he doesn’t have any obligation to take care of me anymore.” She began to sob uncontrollably. “I have nothing. No money, no home, nothing!”

Once again, Regina pulled the young woman into her lithe arms. “Shhh,” she cooed, “Everything is going to be alright, my dear.”

Emma sniffled. “How can you be so sure?”

“Because,” said Regina, “you’re going to stay with me, as you should have done from the start. I won’t let anyone hurt you, Emma. Mr. Smith needs to be taught a lesson.”

Emma was in awe. “I didn’t know you cared.”

Regina lifted her chin with clawed fingers. “Darling, you are the only human I have ever cared about. You are dearer to me than anyone or anything in this cruel world. I will do whatever it takes to keep you safe.”

“Promise?”

Regina smiled, flashing her fangs as she flicked her serpentine tongue against Emma’s cheek. “I promise,” she murmured.

With whatever unseen and inexplicable forces she had control over, Regina pulled a comfortable bed out of the darkness and led Emma towards it.

“Here,” she said, “You need to rest.”

“Stay with me?” Emma asked her.

Her smile widened. “Always.”

She crawled up into the bed as she had done so many times before, and lied next to the tearful blonde, only this time, she hooked an arm around Emma and held the young woman close to her. After a few moments, Emma slowly turned to face her with a soft smile.

“Thank you, Regina.”

“You don’t need to thank me,” said the snake-eyed woman.

“Of course I do. You’ve done so much for me. It’s the least I can do in return. I truly don’t know how to repay you.”

Regina planted a soft kiss on Emma’s forehead. “You already have, my dear,” she whispered.

Emma’s eyelids began to droop, and soon, she was asleep in the arms of the snake-eyed woman who had been looking out for her all these years. The woman whose icy heart she had melted. The woman who cared for her when no one else did. The woman she was proud to call her greatest friend.

“Sweet dreams, Emma.”

**Author's Note:**

> I may write a sequel but I don't know yet.


End file.
